Alabama cyclists may be interested to hear about a 24-year-old man who was hit by a tractor trailer on Sept. 21, 2013 as he rode his bike through Florida. The cyclist was riding to visit all 30 Major League Baseball parks in order to raise money for partially deaf children in the name of charity, and he had already visited 29 MLB locations at the time of the truck accidents.
According to a witness, the truck hit the rider with its mirror, and the truck driver failed to stop after the incident. Although investigators posit that the driver was unaware of the mistake, the charity cyclist sustained multiple injuries, including a pair of cheekbone fractures, a chipped tooth, a broken nose and a serious concussion. He states that all he remembers about the incident was waking up in the hospital.
The man’s ride began in early April 2013, but it may be cut short only miles from his goal as he has been told by medical staff to quit because of the accident. His charity ride was attempting to provide underprivileged children with the same kind of hearing aid devices that helped him regain his own lost aural faculties when he was a child.
Truck accidents can leave people with serious injuries, and the fact that truckers may drive off because they don’t know that anything occurred can make it difficult to seek restitution. High medical bills and property repair fees can also place significant strain on victims, especially when they have families to support. Personal injury attorneys who can investigate accident circumstances and reconstruct events may be able to help these individuals fight for compensation in court.
Source: CBS Sports, “Man cycling to all 30 ballparks for charity hit by tractor trailer”, Mike Axisa, September 23, 2013